Civil society should respond to the paradigmatic challenges by pressuring local government and advocating the implementation of sustainable urban development principles. Aside from the decentralization of authority, accountability for public service provision needs to prioritized and good governance needs to be seen as a crucial requirement for effectiveness in sustainable urban development. A survey among provinces in Indonesia confirmed that good correlates with human governance development. This means that creating an enabling local environment promoting transparency and accountability in local administration, and encouraging citizen participation in urban development, ensure better urban service delivery and an increase in quality of life for citizens.